By City Times staff

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – At the Feb. 7 Wisconsin Rapids Plan Commission meeting, board members unanimously approved a plan for Marshfield Clinic Health System to construct a 10-bed hospital at 220 24th Street South in Wisconsin Rapids.

“On this parcel is an existing health care clinic, is the way our zoning ordinance defines it. So this is more of a daytime clinical medical use, and they are proposing a second principal structure on the same property, which would fall under our zoning ordinance as a health care center. The reason being that it is more of an overnight, hospital stay type medical use facility where medical treatment, nursing, rehabilitation, or preventative care is offered” explained Wisconsin Rapids Associate Planner Carrie Edmondson.

The hospital would be constructed next to Marshfield Clinic’s current facility off of State Highway 54. Submitted image

“What they are proposing is a 10-bed licensed facility. So there is a stipulation or criteria in our zoning code that generally allows one principal building only on a lot, but there are situations where two may be permitted if the planning commission determines that such a building is needed for the operation of an existing use, it is allowed by right, or has been approved by conditional use. The original building was approved with a conditional use permit in 2002.

“In review, this is a permitted use in the B-5 Zoning District…”

Marshfield Clinic said that the 10-bed facility would include “an emergency department, inpatient
services, small lab and diagnostics (including CT, X-Ray, and Ultrasound). The hospital facility will be
approximately 18,000 SF and will include a Board-Certified ED Physician and appropriate support
staff.”

The emergency department will have eight patient treatment rooms, and the facility will be designed to accommodate patients with “airborne isolation needs and precautions.”

Stormwater management will also be updated, as the site is being altered, which the clinic said will “meet redevelopment and development infill requirements as set forth and directed by city of Wisconsin Rapids code ordinance and State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources staff.”

The plan commission approved the site plan review and architectural review to construct the hospital, with the following conditions: an updated landscape plan should be submitted to the community development department for review and approval; trees within the setbacks, as outlined in the covenants, should be preserved where possible; light from the business shall not exceed 0.2 foot-candles at the neighboring commercial property lines; applicable permits through the city shall be obtained; and community development staff shall have the authority to approve minor modifications to the plans.